Several people have died after a huge fire ripped through a west London tower block, with many residents still missing amid reports of people trapped in their homes.

Up to 600 people are believed to have been inside 120 flats in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower when the blaze began. At least 50 injured people were taken to hospital – it is unclear how many managed to get out safely. Residents who escaped spoke of others trapped and screaming for help, with some holding children from windows and others jumping from upper floors.

Witness Paul Littlejohn said: “I woke up about half past one this morning to look across the road and see the big Grenfell Tower, in a towering inferno, blaze, just fire coming out of every window, windows smashing and exploding. Things falling out, people screaming, people jumping out on fire, chucking ropes down what they’d made out of bedsheets, to try and climb out. Just complete nightmare, absolute nightmare.”